Education Commons^™

How Faculty And Student Preferences For Active And Traditional Instructional Methods Relate To Their Beliefs, Quantity, And Quality Of Experiences, Knowledge Of The Benefits, And Professional Training, Tammy R. Shilling

Dissertations

Purpose

The complexity of preparing students for clinical practice and the mitigating factors that influence pedagogical preferences impact the current realities of health professional education. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to explain the relationships between faculty preferences and student preferences for active over traditional methods and their beliefs, the frequency and positiveness of their experiences, and the amount and extent of the knowledge or training they have had regarding active and traditional teaching methods. Results may further inform and refine health professional education infrastructure changes to support faculty in pedagogical change as they prepare students with the …

A Survey On The Effectiveness Of The Flipped Classroom In The Communication Sciences, Amanda Bange

Honors Theses

This study examines how the flipped classroom model impacts student performance in the communication sciences. The flipped classroom is defined as an educational technique that utilizes technology to provide lecture materials outside of class time, while students complete projects and engage in discussion in class with the professor. Twenty-six participants responded to a survey regarding their flipped classroom experiences in four spring semester speech­ language pathology and audiology classes. Responses were mixed, indicating a dislike of the formatting of the style while appreciating the extra practice, question-and-answer time, and thorough engagement with the topic that the flipped classroom model provided.

The Influence Of Social Support And Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction On Student Academic Motivation At A Cameroonian University: Structural Equation Modeling, Samuel Adamou

Dissertations

Problem

The growing number of students at the university level in Cameroon created maladaptive behaviors including lack of behavior adaptation, interests, respect, happiness, self-esteem, which led to strikes, vandalism, academic failure and resulting in school dropout (Nwaimah, 2008). The Cameroonian government proposed a number of reforms to solve these issues. One of the major proposed reforms consisted of implementing the Bologna Model in higher education through borrowing and transferring of policies, ideas, and practices from a European higher education area (Eta, 2015; Mngo, 2011). Yet despite the surface progress, the question of how to enhance student learning and improve instruction …

The Effects Of Prompted Tutoring On An Emporium Model Math Course, Juliette Michelle Young

Honors Theses

My research goal is to investigate how specific prompting of students would affect their involvement and progress in an emporium developmental math course. With the aim of increasing the students’ involvement and progress I tested a method that was in tended to increase students’ perceived connectedness with the classroom and promote the use of the available tutors and teachers. I monitored consenting students’ progress in the Spring 2015 courses and sent emails to students who met any one of three different criterion: (1) If the students time investment was below a threshold. (2) If the student’s mastery pace was less …

Curriculum Design And Language Learning: An Analysis Of English Textbooks In Brazil, Ellen Nogueira Rodrigues

Dissertations

Problem

The textbook is the most important resource for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in Brazil, defining the course to be followed and the teaching and learning processes for language learning. Therefore, it is necessary to understand through an educational perspective the curriculum design employed in the textbook, and the language learning processes used based on the communicative approach, the current favorable approach to English teaching in Brazil. Textbooks writers typically indicate their alignment to the communicative framework. So the problem that exists is the lack of studies on the approaches and processes used in the construction of …

Attitude, Subjective Norm, And Perceived Behavioral Control As Indicators For Nurse Educators’ Intention To Use Critical Thinking Teaching Strategies: A Structural Equation Model Analysis, Angerlita Yolanda Smith

Dissertations

Problem

Deficiencies in new nursing graduates’ ability to use critical thinking skills have been documented. Researchers have found that the continued use of traditional teaching methods and less student-centered approaches for critical thinking development has contributed to this problem. This particular issue has evoked much concern for institutions and organizations involved with the safe delivery of patient care. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the relationship between the factors educator characteristics, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control in a hypothesized model that may influence nurse educators’ intention to use instructional methods that promote critical thinking in …

A Case Study Of The Leadership Program At Andrews University: Its Origins And Early Development As Reflected In Documents And Relics, Participant And Faculty Interviews, And Participant-Observation, 1994-2003, Priscilla Tucker

Dissertations

Purpose. The Leadership Program was established at Andrews University in 1994 as a non-traditional, competency-based, adult-oriented doctoral program. The purpose of this case study was to relate the story of the creation and development of the Leadership Program from 1994 through 2002 by examining the concepts incorporated into the program and the experiences of participants, faculty, and staff involved in the program during those years.

Method. Using a case-study approach, I have examined the conceptual development and procedural evolution of the Leadership Program at Andrews University from 1994 through 2002; that is, from the year of the program’s …

The Effect Of Prosody Instruction On Reading Fluency And Comprehension Among Third-Grade Students, Tammy B. Overstreet

Dissertations

Problem

Many students are failing to become proficient readers with current instructional methods used in American schools. Students frequently make improvements in two of fluency’s dimensions, rate and accuracy, but these improvements have not consistently correlated to improvements in reading comprehension, which is the objective of reading. The automaticity plus prosody (APP) model was developed by this researcher from Topping’s deep processing fluency model to explain why teaching and assessing the multiple dimensions of fluency (rate, accuracy, and prosody) improve comprehension. The purpose of this study was to compare students in a private school in a small town in southwestern …

The Influence Of University Personnel Upon Students' Spirituality At Selected Adventist Universities In West Africa, Isaiah Ola Abolarin

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a deep concern for youth and young adults' spirituality. Hence the church established institutions of higher learning with the aim of restoring in youth and young adults the image of God in which they were created. There are programs and activities in these institutions to accomplish the aim, but there is still concern among church leaders and parents that young people will abandon their faith and exit the church. This study explored the influence of interactions between students and university personnel in selected Adventist universities in West Africa that, apart from programs …

The Effects Of A Videoconferencing Implementation Project On Educators' Level Of Concern In Southwest Michigan Schools, Dennis David Lundgren

Dissertations

Problem. Two-way, interactive videoconferencing is emerging as an important technology tool for K-12 educators. The challenge is to identify and describe successful implementation. Educator concerns related to implementation may inhibit success. The focus of this study of a federally funded videoconferencing project is to address the factors that influence educators' level of concern.

Method. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Stages of Concern (SoC) instrument was administered to measure the level of concern of two cohorts of participants. Data related to project, including number of connections, district and building technical support, professional development, and equipment reliability were also collected. One-way …

A Comparison Of The Incremental Rehearsal Method, The Pocket Word Method, And Repeated Reading Instructional-Level Text On The Word Retention, Words Read Per Minute, And Comprehension Of First-Grade Students, Lara Lynne Macquarrie

Dissertations

As partial fulfillment of a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, a retrospective, multi-element study was performed. The study compared the Incremental Rehearsal method (IR) and the Pocket Word method (PW) to each other and to Repeated Reading (within Instructional Level [RR-IL] by individually teaching words from the Dolch Word List to first-grade students. The effects of IR, PW, and RR-IL on the word retention, reading accuracy, words read per minute, passage retell, and aided comprehension of seven first-grade students were compared. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (4th edition) and the Dolch Word List were administered prior to intervention. The three …

Lifecode: An Examination Of The Shape, The Nature, And The Usage Of The Oikoscode, A Replicative Nonformal Learning Pattern Of Ethical Education For Leadership And Community Groups, Thom Wolf

Dissertations

Problem

The problem investigated in this study is how the oikoscode (Haustafeln), a pattern of ethical education replicated by earliest Christianity, can be developed into a theoretical model. The oikoscode is the lifestyle pattern, the lifecode of attitudinal framing and behavioral conduct that guided earliest Christianity, the generation of the first 25 years after the resurrection of Jesus.

Method

For this study in theory construction, Lynham‘s five-phased (conceptual development, operationalization, application, confirmation or disconfirmation, and continuous refinement and development) theory-building recursive system was used, delimited to only two of the five phases, conceptual development and operationalization. Data regarding the shape, …

Academy Students' And Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of The Use Of Electronic Technology In Their Personal Life And School Experiences In A Selected Union Conference, Alan R. Williams

Dissertations

Problem. The influx of N-Gen students into the classroom of teachers of earlier generations has created a digital generation gap. This gap has serious consequences for schools. For example, only half of the public school teachers who had computers or the Internet available in their schools use them for classroom instruction. However, today’s students are very technology savvy, feel strongly about the positive value of technology and rely upon technology as an essential and preferred component of every aspect of their lives. It appears that the slow speed at which technology is changing the classroom is providing challenges to educators …

A Narrative Analysis Using Multiple Case Studies Of Nursing Graduates Who Overcame Academic Adversity, Judy C. Whedbee

Dissertations

Problem. This research poses the problem that academic adversity may be encountered in nursing students across three levels of nursing education, affecting retention. Because this adversity takes many forms, it is often difficult for nurse-educators to identify students who are at risk for academic adversity and subsequent failure. Identification of students facing academic adversity is the first step toward retention. An additional problem is that effective behaviors used by recent graduates of nursing programs in overcoming academic adversity have not been identified. There is a need for faculty to be able to identify ways that graduates overcome these adversities. …

A Mixed-Method Study Of The Environmental And Personal Factors That Influence Faculty Research Productivity At Small-Medium, Private, Doctorate-Granting Universities, Gustavo Gregorutti

Dissertations

Problem. This study sought to determine what organizational factors and personal characteristics of faculty members most relate to research productivity at small- to medium-sized not-for-profit, private, doctorate-granting universities.

Method. A mixed methodology was used that included an online survey, follow-up email surveys, and two face-to-face interviews. The main statistical tools used were multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and regression. The final sample came from 12 small- to medium-size, private, not-for-profit doctorate-granting American universities. A group of 277 professors responded to the online survey. An online follow-up qualitative survey was conducted with 34 replies. Two additional face-to-face interviews were …

Demonstrating Experiential Learning At The Graduate Level Using Portfolio Development And Reflection, David Winslow Rausch

Dissertations

Problem. Various guidelines for assessment have been developed in an effort to promote academic quality and integrity for educational programs that recognize experiential learning. The purpose of this present study was to determine the extent to which experiential learning and assessment, through portfolio development, help adult students in a graduate-degree program demonstrate graduate-level learning and competency.

Method. This qualitative single-case study used the assessment processes and outcomes elements of the Jackson and Maclsaac process model to analyze the use of reflective practice and the use of portfolios in a graduate education program. Data were triangulated using individual interviews and the …

Change Processes In Selected Private Institutions Of Higher Education, Ronald Dean Herr

Dissertations

Problem. Some higher education institutions are responding to internal and external forces created by the Information Age due to changes in technology, shifts in education delivery, and increasing financial pressures. Are there common processes among a number of selected institutions of similar size and control that could be emulated by peer institutions?

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to describe change processes in private institutions of higher education that are successful based on selected academic and financial data. The institutions selected initially for superior academic and financial statistics over a 5- year period were all church-related and therefore the …

Attitudes Of Junior High Teachers Towards Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities In Inclusive Classes In Public Schools In New Providence, Bahamas, Virginia Alicia Romer

Dissertations

Problem. The implementation of inclusive programs has met disapproval and concerns from many general educators regarding the presence of students with learning disabilities in their classes. The purpose therefore of this study was to survey junior high teachers in New Providence, Bahamas, to determine their attitudes toward teaching students with learning disabilities in general education classes; to investigate the type of instructional methodology used in general classes and to determine if instructional delivery is modified to assist students with learning disabilities; examine whether general educators collaborate with special educators when planning their instruction; and to identify if there are differences …

Self-Reported Personal Problems Of Adventist Academy Students, Ellen Marsh Crosby

Dissertations

Problem. Adolescence is a time fraught with many challenges. There are no current studies prior to this one for Adventist academy students concerning the whole range of their personal problems.

Method. A survey of students in 14 Adventist academies was conducted in the regular classroom setting using the Personal Problems Checklist for Adolescents (PPC-A). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Data were tested with one-way, two-way, and, three-way ANOVA and correlation coefficients to determine differences between males and females, age groups 13/14 to 18/19, and in three different settings of day, boarding, and self-supporting Adventist …

Perceptions Of Problem-Based Learning And Attitudes Towards Its Adoption Among K-12 Teachers In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools In Florida, Eileen A. Pilliner

Dissertations

Problem

One of the founders of Seventh-day Adventist education, Ellen G. White, advocated learning through, practical experiences and critical thinking. In 1997, the Seventh-day Adventist Church recommended problem-based learning (PBL) as a preferred teaching practice for its North American K-12 schools. However, Brantley and Ruiz observed that many Seventh-day Adventist educators feel inadequate to use this method of instruction. Little information exists anywhere concerning teachers’ awareness and perceptions o f problem-based learning (PBL) or factors related to its use. This study examined the relationship between PBL, philosophy of teaching, preferences for PBL teaching components, and perceived barriers to PBL adoption …

Teachers' And Students' Perceptions Of Seventh- And Eighth-Grade Science Education In A Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Union Conference, Marcel Andre Sargeant

Dissertations

Problem. Science education has long been a great concern in the United States, where less than one-third of the students perform at or above the proficient level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of the science program in a selected Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist school system. Specifically, this study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the extent to which the science program meets the criteria of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st century and to what extent these criteria are related to academic performance as indicated by …

Learning And Study Strategies As They Relate To Success In An Open-Entry/Open-Exit College Developmental Reading Course, Ginna A. Wenger

Dissertations

This study examines whether student interviews, students' responses on the Learning and Study Styles Inventory (LASSI), or both, could be useful for sorting students who are likely to succeed from those students who are less likely to succeed in an open-entry/open-exit college reading skills course at a small, rural Michigan community college.

The study combined qualitative data in the form of student interviews and quantitative data that consisted of LASSI scores from 41 students. The qualitative part of the study employed a constant comparative method to analyze data from five semi-structured interviews.The quantitative part of the study computed Pearson r …

A Study Of The Reported Long-Term Attitudinal And Behavioral Effects Of An Eighth-Grade Environmental Education Project And The Development Of An Innovation Configuration To Promote Environmental Education, Jean Lomino

Dissertations

Problem. Increasing scientific evidence reveals that this planet is in serious environmental jeopardy. Since 1977, when an international group of K-12 educators met in the USSR and established goals for teaching environmental education worldwide, many schools have endeavored to fulfill these goals through the use of various curricula and teaching strategies. Although some progress has been made, most K-12 public schools have not done enough to meet the demands of environmental problems. In 1996, my co-teacher and I designed and implemented an environmental project, called Mission Environment, that we hoped would help our students develop long-term positive environmental attitudes …

Predominant Nursing Students' Learning Profile And Nursing Faculty Teaching Styles As Related To Final Course Grade In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program In Puerto Rico, Lourdes Méndez Cruz

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico.

Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics …

The Effectiveness Of Cooperative Learning Teams Using The Bcubetm Process, C. Vincent Anderson

Dissertations

Problem. Cooperative learning is attempted by placing students in group learning situations in which they receive assignments without a structured group or team-formation process. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the BcubeTM process with college students as a method of bringing together individuals of varied backgrounds to form cooperative- learning teams. In addition, the affect of the BcubeTM process on a particular learning outcome was also examined.

Method. Sixty-three Andrews University students (undergraduate and graduate) were divided into treatment and control groups. After a pretest was administered, the treatment group was given the BcubeTM process which is a method o …

Effective Middle School Teachers : Becoming "Real", Rhoda C. Sommers

Dissertations

Problem. This study looks at four effective middle school teachers' stories in order to understand the experiences and beliefs which impact their choice to use developmentally responsive classroom practices. There is general agreement in the literature concerning characteristics of effective middle school teachers, but little has been done to understand what influences these teachers to teach the way they do.

Method. A qualitative case study design was used for this study. Two male and two female middle school teachers were observed and interviewed during the course of 1 school year. Each teacher's life experiences, classroom practices, and beliefs are …

Integrated Thematic Instruction : A Descriptive Case Study Of Students' Attitudes Toward School And Learning, Ginger Heinrich O'Neal

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to describe the operational form of the innovation— Integrated Thematic Instruction within the context of its implementation. An embedded single case study design was used to carry out this gualitative study, with Integrated Thematic Instruction (ITI) as the unit of the case study. The questions that guided the study were: What does ITI look like when implemented by the teacher? What are the contextual elements of implementation of this program? What variations are found in the implementation of this innovation by different teachers? A review of related literature revealed the historical, philosophical, and theoretical …

Volunteers As Tutors And Trainers Of Tutors : A Qualitative Study, Mark B. Thogmartin

Dissertations

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist church/North American Division initiated a Tutoring and Mentoring project in response to President Clinton’s America Reads literacy campaign. This study documents the efforts of the church and the first cohort of trainees as they sought to establish tutoring projects in their home locales.

Method. The author of this study was involved as a co-trainer and a participant-observer during the initial 1-week training session held at the North American Division Headquarters. This training was intended to equip the participants to become tutors of children and trainers of tutors in a primary-level tutoring project. During the …

Educational Administrators And Computer Usage: Leadership Styles And Computer Attitudes In Small Secondary Schools In North America, Daniel Hong Lim

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the computer attitudes of educational administrators and teachers, the leadership styles of educational administrators, and computer usage in secondary schools.

Method. The design of this study used the questionnaire survey to collect data investigating relationships between educational administrators' attitudes toward computers, their leadership styles, and computer use in schools. The sample of the study was derived from educational administrators and teachers from 58 Seventh-day Adventist senior academies (i.e., high schools) found in the United States and Canada. Two instruments were selected for this study. The Computer Attitude Scale …

Instructional Practices And Attitudes Of Teachers In One- And Two-Room Schools In The Seventh-Day Adventist School System In North America, Judith Leist Anderson

Dissertations

Problem. This study examines the instructional practices, perceptions, and attitudes of multi-grade teachers in one- and two-room schools in the Seventh-day Adventist educational system.

Method. The researcher developed a survey and mailed it to a randomly selected stratified sample of 500 teachers in one- and two-room schools in the Seventh-day Adventist educational system in the United States and Canada. Two hundred eighty surveys were returned; 276 were used in the data analysis. Descriptive statistics give a demographic picture of these teachers--the practices used, their perceived levels of expertise, methods of grouping students for instruction, and their assessment of multi-grade students' …